$14 fee for ‘ESTA’ authorization for travelers begins Sept. 8th

U.S. Customs and Border Protection reminds Visa Waiver Program travelers that a new $14 fee for the Electronic System for Travel Authorization applications begins on Wednesday, September 8.

A fee of $4 will recover the costs incurred by CBP in providing and administering the ESTA system, in addition to a mandatory $10 “travel promotion” fee established by the Travel Promotion Act of 2009. The total fee for a new or renewed ESTA is $14.

GSN reported on this new $14 fee on August 11, 2010.

All payments for electronic travel authorization applications must be made by credit card or debit card when applying for or renewing an ESTA.

ESTA is an electronic travel authorization that all nationals of VWP countries must obtain prior to boarding a carrier to travel by air or sea to the U.S. under the VWP. This travel authorization has been mandatory since Jan. 12, 2009.

ESTA applications may be submitted at any time prior to travel. Once approved, authorizations are generally valid for multiple entries into the U.S. for up to two years or until the applicant’s passport expires, or other specific circumstances give rise to a need to reapply, whichever comes first, according to a press release issued by CBP.

The VWP is administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and enables eligible nationals of 36 designated countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. Additional information regarding the VWP is available online.